Hearse finance
A hearse is the most visible asset a funeral director owns, and it is also one of the hardest vehicles in the country to get funded properly.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a hearse?
Yes, hearses can be financed, although the vehicle has to be placed with a funder that understands coachbuilt bodywork. A hearse is a standard manufacturer chassis that has been cut, extended and rebodied by a specialist coachbuilder, which means it no longer matches anything in a normal motor valuation guide. Funders who write this business assess it on condition, coachbuilder reputation and the strength of the funeral business behind it. Both new and long-established used vehicles are fundable, and a hire purchase or lease structure can be used depending on how the business wants to hold the asset.
Used kit: Yes — used hearses are financed routinely, and a twenty-year-old vehicle in sound condition with a good body is still a working asset rather than a write-off.
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What would a hearse cost per month?
Business asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what this shows — with the equivalent APR underneath, because the two are not the same number. A quick guide only; your actual rate depends on the asset, term, deposit and lender.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 6.0% flat rate (equivalent to 11.5% APR representative), you would repay around £646 a month; total amount repayable approximately £31,000, of which £6,000 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval. CW Asset Finance is an Appointed Representative of Rural Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630701).
How lenders treat it
This is a category where placement is everything. Most mainstream motor funders simply will not write a coachbuilt hearse, because their systems cannot value a vehicle that has been cut in half and rebodied, and their disposal routes do not reach the buyers who want one. The funders that do write it know that the used market is small but genuinely real, with specialist dealers and direct trade between funeral businesses. They also know that mileage is very low and that a hearse lasts far longer than an ordinary car, so age alone is not the concern it would be elsewhere. What worries them is the narrowness of the buyer pool, and what reassures them is the covenant — funeral directors tend to be long-established, stable businesses with steady demand and low failure rates, and underwriters price that in.
Makes and models we fund
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Coleman Milne Cardinal | Ford-based hearse, the British trade standard |
| Coleman Milne Grosvenor | Mercedes-based hearse for premium fleets |
| Wilcox Limousines hearses | British-built hearses on several base cars |
| Binz hearses | German-built hearse conversions |
| Eagle Specialist Vehicles hearses | British hearse conversions for funeral directors |
| Superior UK hearses | Hearse conversions for independent firms |
| Jaguar XF hearse | Premium saloon-based hearse for cortege work |
| Mercedes-Benz E-Class hearse | Durable hearse base for high mileage |
| Volvo V90 hearse | Estate-based hearse with long load deck |
| Ford Mondeo hearse | Value hearse base for smaller firms |
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Who buys one
Usually an independent funeral director replacing a vehicle that has served fifteen years or more, or a family firm taking on a second chapel and needing its own hearse rather than relying on a shared vehicle from a neighbouring business. The purchase is planned well in advance because build slots at the coachbuilders are booked months ahead.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
How it is treated for tax
Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
Hearse finance questions
Why do ordinary motor finance companies turn hearses down?
Because their underwriting depends on standard valuation data and mainstream resale routes, and a coachbuilt hearse has neither. The vehicle does not appear in the guides in its converted form, and the buyers who want one are a small specialist group the funder has no access to.
Does the age of the vehicle really matter less?
Considerably less than in any other vehicle category. Hearses cover very few miles, are stored carefully and are maintained meticulously. Condition of the body, the interior and the deck is what determines value, and a well-kept older vehicle can be worth more than a neglected newer one.
Can I finance a hearse I am buying from another funeral director?
Yes. Private and trade-to-trade purchases within the profession are common and funders that know the sector are used to them. You will need a clear invoice, the V5 and confirmation that the seller holds title free of any finance.
Is it better to take hire purchase or a lease?
It depends on whether you want to own the vehicle at the end and on your accounting preferences. Given how long hearses last, many funeral directors prefer to own outright eventually. The treatment differs between structures, so discuss it with your accountant.
Does it help that funeral businesses rarely fail?
It does. Underwriters look at sector stability, and funeral directing is notably steady, often with decades of trading history and predictable demand. That strength in the covenant is frequently what makes a difficult asset fundable.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
Also in hearse and funeral vehicle finance
- Funeral limousine finance
- Funeral fleet finance
- Private ambulance finance
- Removal vehicle finance
- Horse drawn hearse finance
- Motorcycle hearse finance
- Electric hearse finance
- Used hearse finance
- Funeral home equipment finance
- Mortuary equipment finance
- Coffin trolley finance
See everything we fund in hearse and funeral vehicle finance →
Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
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Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 07581 364281 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.